Antony Hegarty is officially crazy in love. Er, that is, Antony and the Johnsons’ cover of Beyoncé’s 2003 summer smash, “Crazy In Love,” has finally seen an official release as the B-side to their “Aeon” single.

For several years now, Hegarty and his various collaborators have included “Crazy In Love” in concert setlists, stretching back at least to 2007. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hegarty had performed the tune more than Beyoncé herself, prior to her current tour.

Like its live predecessors, Antony and the Johnsons’ studio take on the #1 hit is dramatically slowed down. Stripped of its catchy “uh-oh, uh-oh”s and absent the blaring Chi-Lites’ horn sample (and minus Jay-Z, of course), you’d wonder what magic possibly could be left. But this pared-down arrangement, paired with Hegarty’s haunting voice is, to steal a page from Mr. Dave Eggers, a heartbreaking work of staggering genius if ever there was one:

And while there’s that official video to accompany the release of “Crazy In Love” (directed by New York City artist Joie Iacono), I think Antony and the Johnsons’ performance with Amsterdam’s Metropole Orchestra, recorded in June, is even more stunning.

Purchase Antony and the Johnsons – “Crazy In Love” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.